


What about trust?

by KatjaWilde



Series: Inspired by lyrics, I then proceeded to steal for the dialogue [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: And probably not going to be, Angst, Emotional Hurt, Guardian Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, Identity Reveal, Inspired by Music, Lyrics in dialogue, Not Beta Read, One Shot, Or Sort Of, POV Marinette Dupain-Cheng, POV Third Person, Plagg is there, Post Hawkmoth Defeat, Song Lyrics, Song: Gotta go my own way (High Shchool Musical 2, This is not fun at all, Unrequited Love, Why would I do this to us?, briefly, mentioned Hawkmoth, not edited
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:53:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23128102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatjaWilde/pseuds/KatjaWilde
Summary: After the defeat of Hawkmoth, Ladybug and Chat Noir meet on a rooftop. As Guardian Marinette needs to rebuild the order.But first, she needs some closure with Chat Noir.This fic was inspired by the song "Gotta go my own way" from High Shcool Musical 2 and I have incorperated the lyrics into the dialogue.
Series: Inspired by lyrics, I then proceeded to steal for the dialogue [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662460
Comments: 15
Kudos: 26





	What about trust?

Ladybug stood at the rooftop of a building near the Eiffel tower, overlooking the city of lights. She had great memories from the city she was born in. The city where she took her first steps, her first words, made her first friends, her first crush, got her heart broken…  
Yes, she had a lot of memories from the city of love, she mused, deep in thought.  
She heard him landing behind her. She always heard when he landed behind her.  
“Hi, kitty,” she said, not turning around, still lost in thought.  
“My lady.” His tone betrayed nothing. Did he know what she was about to do?  
She took a deep breath in. Here goes nothing.   
“We’ve defeated Hawkmoth,” he said before she had a chance to. “So now, we can reveal ourselves right? You know I love you. I want to marry you.”  
She did know that. Or at least she knew that he thought he did. The flirting and the timing had gotten too much, too much of a distraction, too close to being harassment. She had told him that, told him how it made her uncomfortable, how it hurt her to keep turning him down. He was her partner, even though it sometimes had felt like he didn’t respect her like one. She had told him that. He had backed off most of the time. Until tonight it seemed. She still couldn’t love him the way he wanted her to. She just couldn’t. Too much had happened between them it seemed.  
She released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. It was time.   
“Chat, listen. I’m just going to say what's on my mind. Something about us doesn't seem right these days. You’re my best friend. You know that. But nothing more. I’ve told you time and time again.   
If things have been different, if life haven’t kept getting in the way maybe we could have been more. But every time I thought you understood that I needed my space it wouldn’t last.”  
She turned to look at him. He looked heart broken. He looked like he knew where this way going.   
She had tears in her eyes.  
“You’re still my best friend.” Her voice almost sounded resigned. She gestured to the city. “Out of everyone in this city you might be the one who, in some ways, understand me the best. And that is why this is so hard to say.”  
She took in a deep breath, held it and released it with a huff.   
“But I've got to do what's best for me. And for the Miraculous box. You'll be okay, kitty.”   
She reached out to touch his arm. He flinched. She hugged herself instead.  
“We got to move on. I don't belong here and neither does the Miraculous. I’m leaving for Tibet. I’m rebuilding the order. I hope you understand that this this is something I have to do. But alone.”   
She couldn’t look at him anymore. She turned to once more look at the city that has been her home all her life.   
“We might find a place in this world someday. Maybe once we’ve both grown. I know I have a lot of growing and learning to do. So do you.   
“We can grow up together,” he croaked from behind her. Ladybug didn’t turn to look at him, just shook her head.  
“I don’t want to leave you or Paris behind, but I have to find out more about the order. And you… Chat, I love you dearly, but the flirting and the joking and the tantrums… I’m not sure I trust you anymore.”   
She felt her cheeks get wet.   
“I know we’ve had this conversation before and I get my hopes up that this time you’ve understood and respected what I told you, but I watch those hopes fall every time.”  
He looked like a kicked puppy. He was not supposed to look like that but what was she supposed to do? To say?   
“Are you angry with me?” He whispered into the Parisian night  
“I’m not angry with you, chaton.” Her voice was so low it could almost not be heard. “But I’m disappointed.”   
Neither said anything for a while. She still had tears on her face and his still looked like a kicked puppy. How she wished she didn’t have to continue this conversation. As if Chat Noir had read her mind, he cleared his throat:   
“Maybe I should leave, my… LB.” He tried to smile at her. It fell flat.   
He turned to leave but stopped short when she reached out.   
“I’m leaving for Tibet soon. I need to take your Miraculous.”   
“You can’t!” He turned pale. “I know you need space, but what about us? What about everything we've been through?”  
“What about trust?” She barked. “We’ve defeated Hawkmoth. I need to rebuild the order.”  
He shook her hand off his arm and his eyes hardened.  
“I still trust you.”  
“You know I never wanted to hurt you. But I need the Miraculous. I need to leave.”   
“What about me? What am I supposed to do? Without you or Plagg I have nothing.”   
His voice was angry and desperate. She knew that. She knew that this might push him over the edge. But she was the Guardian now. She steeled herself.  
“I’m sorry. But you were never meant to be a permanent holder.”  
He looked stricken. How she hated to hurt him, but she needed to continue so she wouldn’t lose her resolve.  
“I know who you are, and I’m sorry about… everything. I wish there was more I could do. Hopefully your mother will wake know that she is no longer near the Miraculous.”   
Truth be told she didn’t know if it would make a difference. If Hawkmoth had come to the Guardian sooner, they could have healed Emilie Agreste without the need for a wish. She didn’t tell him that. She couldn’t. There was no need to break the boy even more. There was no need to make him resent his father more. It might break him beyond repair. It might consume him whole. And despite everything, she still cared so much about him.  
She was so lost in thought she almost didn’t notice him starting to leave, eyes turned steel and determination written clearly on his face. But her years as Ladybug had thought her to always notice her surroundings. To never let her guard down. Never being able to relax or tell anyone about the most important parts of her life. It was a sacrifice she was more than willing to make. It was the one thing Chat Noir did not understand.  
“Adrien Agreste, as Guardien of The Miraculous it is my duty to protect the Miraculous and the balance by the world. To achieve this I hereby strip you of the powers given to you by the Miraculous of Destruction.”   
Tears were rolling down both their faces. He tried shielding the ring but nevertheless, Plagg released the transformation in a flash of green light.   
Before her stood one heartbroken former lycée crush. The Kwamii of Destruction flew up to his face.  
“I’m sorry kid.” He then slipped the ring of his former chosen and flew to Ladybug’s side.   
“How long have you known?” He whispered.   
She knew him well enough to know what that question was about.  
“Since before I was Guardian. I’m sorry, Chaton.”   
His looked morphed into a mix between heartbreak and anger. She couldn’t blame him. He now knew she had known his identity when they went to take down Hawkmoth. She had known Hawkmoth’s too. She was not going to tell him that, just like she wasn’t going to tell him that the only reason he had still been Chat was that Hawkmoth had been too powerful by the time she no longer trusted him. He had been too ruthless, too determined for them to find a new wielder of the Power of Destruction. Her partner might have been a manchild but he still had more experience than the rest of the team. They had needed him to take down his father. She was still not sure whether that had been selfish on her part or if it really had been for the best. She still didn’t know. She had a feeling she never would. But she would never tell him that she had been close to taking away his Miraculous years ago. It would only hurt him more, and for no reason.  
“I still care about you a lot, kitty. “She didn’t move to comfort him. She knew that her presence couldn’t be a comfort. “I have to leave but I'll miss you. I hope that some day you’ll understand why I did what I did. I hope that one day you can forgive me”   
He didn’t answer her. She turned and left, swinging out into the Parisian night, leaving him standing alone on a rooftop in Paris.   
Hopefully he would be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry! This was not a fun one shot at all.  
> I could not make all of the lyrics fit in the dialogue with where the story was headed, but I tried. Also, I just listened to the song on repeat while writing it.   
> I might expand a little with the universe or write a one shot about Marinette's travel/time in Tibet or maybe the conversation with Fu about the possibility of retiring Chat Nor. I don't know yet. If the muse strikes (or I can find a song that fits;))


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